Many people rely on individual therapy for psychological support, but there are times when people need more support than can be provided by individual therapy alone.
Teens requiring more comprehensive mental health services may be referred to an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). IOP may be a good treatment option for individuals in a variety of situations, including those stepping down from a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), on leave from school, those needing more support than once a week counseling, or those who have recently completed a hospitalization. An IOP provides an opportunity for people who are recovering from a mental illness to continue their recovery,
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) designates a specific level of care within mental health treatment. This level of care is a “High Intensity Community Based Service”, providing additional support and therapeutic modalities. For example, IOP may include individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and psychiatric medication management. Teens are often “stepping down” to IOP from a Partial Hospitalization Program.
IOP is a more intensive level of care in comparison to a typical outpatient therapy setting. In IOP, clients are expected to attend treatment at a minimum of three days per week, for three hours each day. For this reason, clients who require additional support may benefit from an IOP program. Clients who are struggling to manage and cope in an outpatient therapy setting would benefit from the additional support that an IOP program provides.
In some cases, IOP serves the purpose of ensuring ongoing stabilization and support after a client completes a treatment episode in a higher level of care. In most cases, clients who are treated in a Partial Hospitalization Program will step down to an Intensive Outpatient Program at the completion of their treatment episode. A typical IOP treatment episode is completed after the course of several months.
What are the Benefits of an Intensive Outpatient Program?
An IOP program provides many benefits as clients are provided with the structure and stability necessary to assist them in meeting their treatment goals. Clients have access to their individual and family therapists throughout their day in the program. Also, their clinical team is able to observe their behaviors and symptoms daily in order to optimize their treatment. Clients receive a wide variety of experiential and therapeutic groups including, but not limited to, dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, process groups, psychoeducation, art therapy, social skills groups, yoga, meditation and nutrition. An IOP program provides comprehensive and individualized support to meet each client’s unique needs.
Goals of an Intensive Outpatient Program
The goals of each IOP will vary depending upon the issue the program is designed to treat. Universal components of intensive outpatient programs include:
- Teaching participants coping skills
- Improving problem-solving skills
- Developing enhanced self-awareness
- Recognizing unhealthy behaviors
- Practicing asking for and receiving support
Unlike an inpatient program, an intensive outpatient program offers participants the ability to receive treatment while still living at home and engaging in their personal lives. Teens can attend an IOP without disrupting their school, routine or relationships.
What conditions does Intensive Outpatient Program Treat?
An IOP program treats behavioral health disorders that do not require staying overnight for treatment. PHP can be an effective level of care for those who struggle with depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, school refusal, substance abuse, and many others. It can also be a healing therapeutic environment for anyone who has recently experienced an emotional crisis, abuse or neglect.
ROWI’s IOP program treats clients with a primary mental health diagnosis, as ROWI does not treat clients with a primary substance use disorder diagnosis. ROWI can provide additional support for adolescents struggling with minor substance use; however, it is not the focus of treatment. Each client participates in creating an individualized Master Treatment Plan with their Therapist to assist with collaborating and working together to help clients meet their treatment goals.
What to expect when you enter an Intensive Outpatient Program?
When you enter an IOP program, you can expect to work closely with your therapist and clinical team throughout your stay in IOP, collaborating regarding your treatment plan and working together to assist you with meeting your treatment goals. You’ll meet with your individual therapist once each week and your family therapist once every other week. Together, you will collaborate with your clinical team to decide the best time to transition to a lower level of care after IOP.